Calculating Probability using the Poisson Distribution

AI Thread Summary
The discussion focuses on calculating the probability of student arrivals using the Poisson distribution, specifically for the scenario where the time between two consecutive arrivals falls within a specified range. Participants clarify that the average arrival rate (λ) is 2 students per hour, and the original equation used was not appropriate for determining the time interval between arrivals. Instead, they suggest using the Exponential distribution to model the waiting time for the next arrival. The final calculation concludes that the probability of no arrivals in the first 10 minutes and at least one arrival in the subsequent 40 minutes is approximately 0.527. The thread emphasizes the importance of correctly interpreting the problem's constraints and applying the right statistical methods.
sol59
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Homework Statement


On average, 2 students per hour come into the class. What is the probability that the time between two consecutive arrivals is in the interval <10 minutes; 50 minutes>.

Homework Equations


p(k)=P(Y=k)=((lambda*t)k*(e-lambda*t)/k!

The Attempt at a Solution


I've tried using the Poisson distribution with k=2 t=40/60=2/3 and lambda=4/3 but the result is wrong. Thanks for helping!
 
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sol59 said:
I've tried using the Poisson distribution with k=2 t=40/60=2/3 and lambda=4/3
Try to justify those parameters.
In the equation you quote, how would you describe the meanings of k and λ?
 
haruspex said:
Try to justify those parameters.
In the equation you quote, how would you describe the meanings of k and λ?

I think k is number of events that can happen in selected time unit...two student arrivals in this case and λ is average number of events that can happen in an hour...is it 2 as well? I'm not sure.
 
sol59 said:
I think k is number of events that can happen in selected time unit...two student arrivals in this case and λ is average number of events that can happen in an hour...is it 2 as well? I'm not sure.
Yes, λ here is 2 per hour.
But the equation you quote is not suited to the task, directly. It gives you the probability of a specific number of arrivals in a specific period of time. You want the probability that the time between a particular pair of consecutive arrivals is in some range.

You might as well suppose that the first of the two arrivals has just occurred. How can you rephrase the question a bit more simply?
 
haruspex said:
Yes, λ here is 2 per hour.
But the equation you quote is not suited to the task, directly. It gives you the probability of a specific number of arrivals in a specific period of time. You want the probability that the time between a particular pair of consecutive arrivals is in some range.

You might as well suppose that the first of the two arrivals has just occurred. How can you rephrase the question a bit more simply?

I could use the Exponential distribution and determine the time of waiting for another arrival?
 
haruspex said:
Yes, λ here is 2 per hour.
But the equation you quote is not suited to the task, directly. It gives you the probability of a specific number of arrivals in a specific period of time. You want the probability that the time between a particular pair of consecutive arrivals is in some range.

You might as well suppose that the first of the two arrivals has just occurred. How can you rephrase the question a bit more simply?

2*e(-2*t) where t=2/3?
 
sol59 said:
2*e(-2*t) where t=2/3?
No, you need to do some more thinking before trying to plug numbers into an equation.
Suppose that one student has just arrived. Rephrase the question in terms of a single arrival.
 
haruspex said:
No, you need to do some more thinking before trying to plug numbers into an equation.
Suppose that one student has just arrived. Rephrase the question in terms of a single arrival.

Well I need to find out if the time of waiting for arrival of the second student is in the interval <= 50 minutes. And the arrival of the first student has to be in the interval >= 10 minutes.
 
sol59 said:
Well I need to find out if the time of waiting for arrival of the second student is in the interval <= 50 minutes. And the arrival of the first student has to be in the interval >= 10 minutes.
No, we can start the clock when the first student arrives. What are the constraints on the arrival time of the next student?
 
  • #10
haruspex said:
No, we can start the clock when the first student arrives. What are the constraints on the arrival time of the next student?

The second student has to come 40 minutes later at most after the first student.
 
  • #11
sol59 said:
The second student has to come 40 minutes later at most after the first student.
No, that is not what the question says. Read it again:
sol59 said:
the time between two consecutive arrivals is in the interval <10 minutes; 50 minutes>.
Edit: maybe the word interval is confusing you. Here it just means a range of values: the time between two consecutive arrivals is in the range from 10 minutes to 50 minutes.
 
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  • #12
haruspex said:
No, that is not what the question says. Read it again:

Edit: maybe the word interval is confusing you. Here it just means a range of values: the time between two consecutive arrivals is in the range from 10 minutes to 50 minutes.

The second student has to come in the fiftieth minute at the latest?
 
  • #13
sol59 said:
The second student has to come in the fiftieth minute at the latest?
And the earliest?
 
  • #14
haruspex said:
And the earliest?

The fiftieth minute minus the time when the first student came?
 
  • #15
sol59 said:
The fiftieth minute minus the time when the first student came?
No, what is the earliest, after the first student, that the second student can arrive (to fit in the given window)?

Let's make it more concrete. Say the first student arrives at 9am. Between what two times is the second student to arrive for the gap between them to be from 10 to 50 minutes?

It's late here... off to bed.
 
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  • #16
haruspex said:
No, what is the earliest, after the first student, that the second student can arrive (to fit in the given window)?

Let's make it more concrete. Say the first student arrives at 9am. Between what two times is the second student to arrive for the gap between them to be from 10 to 50 minutes?

9:10-9:50?
 
  • #17
sol59 said:
9:10-9:50?
Right.
So how many students arrive between 9 and 9:10?
 
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  • #18
haruspex said:
Right.
So how many students arrive between 9 and 9:10?

0 (and between 9:50-10 too)...but I still don't know how to solve it.
 
  • #19
sol59 said:
0
Right. Using your equation, what is the probability of that?
sol59 said:
and between 9:50-10 too)
No. We might come back to that later.
How many students arrive between 9:10 and 9:50?
 
  • #20
haruspex said:
Right. Using your equation, what is the probability of that?

No. We might come back to that later.
How many students arrive between 9:10 and 9:50?

9:00-9:10 P(Y=0)=((2*1/6)0*(e-1/3))/0!=0.716
9:10-9:50 1 student P(Y=1)=((2*2/3)1*(e-4/3)/1!=0.351
 
  • #21
sol59 said:
9:00-9:10 P(Y=0)=((2*1/6)0*(e-1/3))/0!=0.716
9:10-9:50 1 student P(Y=1)=((2*2/3)1*(e-4/3)/1!=0.351
We are getting there. But why exactly one student between 9:10 and 9:50? What goes wrong if two arrive?
 
  • #22
haruspex said:
We are getting there. But why exactly one student between 9:10 and 9:50? What goes wrong if two arrive?

I don't know:( P(Y=2)=0.234 but I don't understand what to do with it
 
  • #23
sol59 said:
I don't know:( P(Y=2)=0.234 but I don't understand what to do with it
For the moment, just try to answer my question. If no student arrives between 9 and 9:10, but two arrive between 9:10 and 9:50, does that meet the requirement that the time from the 9am arrival to the next arrival lies between 10 minutes and 50 minutes?

What if 3 arrive between 9:10 and 9:50? Four? ...
 
  • #24
haruspex said:
For the moment, just try to answer my question. If no student arrives between 9 and 9:10, but two arrive between 9:10 and 9:50, does that meet the requirement that the time from the 9am arrival to the next arrival lies between 10 minutes and 50 minutes?

What if 3 arrive between 9:10 and 9:50? Four? ...

I think it meets that requirement but it is also said that 2 students per hour come into the class.
 
  • #25
sol59 said:
I think it meets that requirement
Right. So is there any limit on the number that can arrive between 9:10 and 9:50?
sol59 said:
but it is also said that 2 students per hour come into the class.
That's just an average rate. Poisson processes have no memory. In each short period of time dt, the probability of an arrival is λdt. If one does arrive, the probability is still λdt for the next period dt. In principle, a million could arrive in a single minute (ok, this is an idealised view), but the probability would be vanishingly small.
 
  • #26
haruspex said:
Right. So is there any limit on the number that can arrive between 9:10 and 9:50?

That's just an average rate. Poisson processes have no memory. In each short period of time dt, the probability of an arrival is λdt. If one does arrive, the probability is still λdt for the next period dt. In principle, a million could arrive in a single minute (ok, this is an idealised view), but the probability would be vanishingly small.

That's interesting...so there is an unlimited number of students that can arrive in that interval. But how to express it mathematically?
 
  • #27
sol59 said:
That's interesting...so there is an unlimited number of students that can arrive in that interval. But how to express it mathematically?
What number of arrivals between 9:10 and 9:50 does not meet the condition?
 
  • #28
haruspex said:
What number of arrivals between 9:10 and 9:50 does not meet the condition?

0?
 
  • #29
sol59 said:
0?
Right.
So we have boiled it down to two requirements:
No arrivals in (9:00, 9:10), and
Not (no arrivals in (9:10, 9:50))
Can you figure out the probability of the second of those, and combine it with the probability you already found for the first?
 
  • #30
haruspex said:
Right.
So we have boiled it down to two requirements:
No arrivals in (9:00, 9:10), and
Not (no arrivals in (9:10, 9:50))
Can you figure out the probability of the second of those, and combine it with the probability you already found for the first?

The probability of no arrivals in (9:10, 9:50) is P(Y=0)=e-4/3=0.264
Thank you for your patience.
 
  • #31
sol59 said:
The probability of no arrivals in (9:10, 9:50) is P(Y=0)=e-4/3=0.264
Right, so what is the probability of at least 1 arrival in (9:10, 9:50) ?
 
  • #32
haruspex said:
Right, so what is the probability of at least 1 arrival in (9:10, 9:50) ?

1-0.264=0.736
 
  • #33
sol59 said:
1-0.264=0.736
Good. So put it all together. What is the probability of no arrivals in (9:00, 9:10) and at least one in (9:10, 9:50)?
 
  • #34
haruspex said:
Good. So put it all together. What is the probability of no arrivals in (9:00, 9:10) and at least one in (9:10, 9:50)?

0,736*0.716=0.527
 
  • #35
sol59 said:
0,736*0.716=0.527
You got there!
 
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  • #36
haruspex said:
You got there!

Thank you so much for your help! I've managed to solve all other problems but this one was too difficult for me:) Thanks again:)!
 
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